The Real Awakening
Damien woke up groggy and disoriented. Does any newborn really wake up any differently though? From the outside perspective he seemed just like any other baby; however, if you looked deep enough into his eyes you could see the intelligence and slight understanding behind those pools of emerald. His short black and blood red wisps of hair were smoothed back as if he had just recently been caressed by someone. His little head drifted left and right trying to take in his surroundings. He could only distinguish blurred shapes of a bright room, his ears perked for any sounds out of the ordinary. *Click.. click.. click.. click* the sound of something quiet but sharp worked it's way towards him. After a few moments he saw a silhouette hover over where he was laying down. "Oh, the little one is finally awake" a soft feminine voice spoke into the silence. He cooed back then grimaced as he realized he couldn't imitate what the other had said. "You must be hungry little one" he watched as a smaller shape approached him and he felt a small round piece nudge his lips. Opening his mouth he clamped down and suckled sighing as he felt a warm creamy substance enter his mouth. The milk calmed his frayed senses and helped him see better. Where was he? What was he? These along with many other fragmented thoughts tangled through his mind like twisting spaghetti.
"We found you a nice place to stay little one, I'm sure they'll take good care of you." His vision on the silhouette finally focused and he saw a sweet looking lady with wrinkles by her eyes from smiling, her brown hair floating above his nose like a weeping willows branches in a summer breeze. He reached up grabbing at the wisps wondering what they were. "Ow, not so rough" the woman said as she gently pried her hair from his fingers her mouth lifting in a small smile as he gripped her finger in place of her strands of hair.
Everything felt so big after being in darkness, he missed it. The warmth of the abyss called for him, but somehow he knew he would never truly be there again. He had entered a new world and so far it wasn't half bad. He loved whatever it was he had tasted that the woman had given him. It made him drowsy and fuzzy. His eyes drooped involuntarily, but he fought it, he wasnt ready to drift into the depths yet. He had much more to learn, much more to see. However his body had different plans. His eyes closed despite his best efforts. "Why" the voice interrupted his sleep for but a moment before he lost consciousness yet again, his last thoughts. "What was that" before he slipped back into sleeps welcome arms.
As the baby Damien slept there were many things at work. The nurse who had delivered him had a lot on her plate. He wasn't the only baby who had to be released from the hospital after all. Tepmin's orphanage had called saying they would take the boy. Luckily they were the only orphanage in the entire province that wasn't known for abuse or criminal activity. It's either that or they were much better at hiding their tracks. Either way they were the best option for the boy. Too many deaths surrounded the other orphanages. The nurse continued filling out his release papers. He was to be taken early on the morrow and he would no longer be her problem.
Besides that she would be receiving her second soul on the morrow as well. She was hoping she could take one that would help her with what she was doing in the hospital, otherwise she would struggle even more alongside her peers. As a brand new nurse her hope was that she would take a soul that helped with her ability to heal and comfort those under her care; however, she knew that sometimes politics could get in the way of what you might want or need to continue surviving the province, let alone the world. Tomorrow it seemed, was going to be a big day.